There is bound to be some anxiety as the second stage of the easing of lockdown rules gets underway in the UK from next week. But resist the temptation to fill up your diary right away.
With lockdown easing and the signs that normal life may resume in only a few short months' time, it is easy to get carried away making both work and social plans.
However, Penny Weston, Wellness Entrepreneur, Director at Moddershall Oaks spa and Owner of Welcome to MADE, believes that the process of returning to normal life must be done transitionally to avoid burn out.
Here are her tips for easing back into normal life gently:
Resist temptation
Try to resist going back in to your work and social life headfirst. Everyone has been through such a dramatic time and many changes so you must ease your way back into it. Think of your diary and time for yourself as sacred and don't over fill it. Be gentle with yourself and transition back into normal life gradually, step by step. As tempting as it is to run straight back into normal life, if we return all guns blazing we run the risk of getting burnt out which will have a severe impact on both our mental and physical health.
Enjoy resilience mediation
Focus on your wellbeing from a positive point of view by looking at ways that you can build resilience. Focusing on character building – activities like yoga and meditation are perfect. These can help you learn to adapt to change and be strong for all this is coming over the next few months. We have a Resilience Meditation playlist on MADE on Demand which is perfect for improving our emotional intelligence.
Write down lessons learnt
Don't forget everything that you've learnt about yourself and your life during lockdown. Avoid going straight back to the hamster wheel life. Lockdown has been long, but it has given us the time to reflect and realise what is important to us. Whether that is working less, working more, spending more time on yourself or travelling the world. There is a risk that once everyone is back in to work life that this can all be forgotten about. Write down things that you've learnt and things that you want to hold on to and use this as a gentle reminder of what's important and the lessons that this time has taught you. Whenever things seem to be getting too busy or you begin to feel like you're taking things for granted, read your list to bring back those thoughts.
Prioritise self-care
Lockdown has meant that many people have had more time for pampering and undertaking a self-care routine. Make sure that this is not lost when we're returning from lockdown. Schedule a night a week where you go to bed half an hour earlier, listen to meditation, do some restorative stretching or indulge in a lovely skincare routine. When normality resumes and our work and social schedules become busier, try and hold on to looking after yourself.
(Cover Media/Reuters)